Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

64. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce improvements to the system to ensure families who become homeless as a result of rent increases will not have their relevant social welfare payments discontinued with resultant hardship and administration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5285/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

66. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the steps that will be taken to alleviate hardship caused to families who have become homeless and whose social welfare payments have ceased; if arrangements will be put in place to ensure against such possibilities in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5287/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 66 together.

The Department’s role with regard to persons who are homeless is mainly income maintenance. Under the social welfare system, homeless people have entitlements to the full range of social welfare schemes, including supplementary welfare allowance (SWA), subject to the normal qualifying conditions.

Where a person is residing in homeless accommodation, such as a bed and breakfast or long term hostel, steps are taken to verify their address in order to facilitate continued payment of a social welfare payment such as job seekers allowance. Where a person is homeless and has no fixed abode or has night by night accommodation then he/she is referred to the Community Welfare Service for support under the SWA scheme.

The SWA scheme is considered the "safety net" within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

Under the SWA scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Assistance through ENPs may be provided towards rent deposits. This form of assistance is very important to those on low incomes who are at risk of, or who are homeless, or who rely on the private rented market to meet their housing needs. In 2014, the Department made over 2,990 payments of rent deposits/rent in advance at a cost of €1.48 million throughout the country.

The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the housing needs of rent supplement customers throughout the country who were a risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in such circumstances in July and December 2014. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner. The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol introduced in the Dublin region during mid-2014 has also been extended to Cork city within the last week.

If the Deputy is aware of a particular case where a homeless family’s social welfare payment has been discontinued, he should forward details to the Department for follow up.